LOS ANGELES (AP) Michael Harris II tripled and scored on reliever Kris Bubic’s wild pitch in the fifth inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 Sunday night to even the National League Division Series at one game apiece.
“To get the division here against these guys, yeah, it’s great,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said.
Harris’ RBI double to right against reliever Edgardo Henriquez added an insurance run with two outs in the seventh in what turned into a bullpen game for both teams when the Braves chased Dodgers starter Blake Snell after 3 2/3 innings — his shortest postseason start since 2022 with San Diego.
Harris also singled in the third, missing a home run for the cycle.
“Michael had a great game,” Weiss said. “In the playoffs, you never know what’s going to happen. There’s no plan. There’s no playbook. There always seems to be unsung heroes in the playoffs.”
Max Muncy’s two-strike, two-out homer off Didier Fuentes put the Dodgers up 3-2 in the ninth. Braves closer Raisel Igelsias, their fifth reliever, got his second save after getting pinch hitter Josue De Paula to foul at third to end the game.
“They’re going to use any pitcher and try to get every game they can,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “They’re going to move up some guys, and obviously they use their bullpen accordingly.”
Runs were hard to come by after the teams combined for five home runs in the Dodgers’ 5-3 Game 1 win.
After Mookie Betts walked and Shohei Ohtani singled to open the fifth, the Atlanta bullpen retired the next 14 consecutive Dodgers batters.
Los Angeles stranded seven runners on base in the first five innings. Ohtani, a four-time MVP, was a non-factor for the second straight game, going 1 for 4 with two strikeouts.
“If you look at at-bats, there are a lot of chases,” Roberts said. “It’s hard to square up, make good swings on balls that are out of the zone.”
The Braves regained the lead, 2-1, on Bubic’s wild pitch after Harris’ triple, his first ever in the postseason.
Freddie Freeman tied it at 1 on a two-strike solo shot against Braves reliever Grant Holmes in the fourth as he faced his former team for the first time in the postseason.
“We have to find a way to score some runs without hitting a home run. That’s our biggest goal right now,” Freeman said. “Get the guys on base, get that big hit and hope our pitches continue to work well. »
Snell struggled throughout, never finding a rhythm. The two-time Cy Young Award winner threw 90 pitches and only 47 for strikes. He allowed one run and three hits, walked five and struck out five.
Snell needed 27 pitches to get to first, despite only throwing three more strikes than balls. He was not available to speak with the media after the game, having left the stadium due to a family emergency, a team spokesperson said.
The Braves led 1-0 on Mauricio Dubón’s two-base loaded single with two outs in the first. Betts made a diving save, but his throw to first was too late, allowing Ronald Acuña Jr. to score after he singled and stole second.
Ray Kerr started the game for the Braves, who elected to give Chris Sale extra rest before his Game 3 start.
Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers’ sixth reliever, loaded the bases in the eighth on a walk, hit by a pitch and an intentional walk with one out. Acuña threw a double play in the bottom of the inning.
After a day of travel, Braves LHP Chris Sale starts Game 3 Tuesday in Atlanta against Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
—
See the AP’s complete MLB coverage here
Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and the Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Gn sports
